Tuvalu Map and Information, Map of Tuvalu, Facts, Figures and Geography of Tuvalu -Worldatlas.com - WorldAtlas.com Tuvalu Map and Information, Map of Tuvalu, Facts, Figures and Geography of Tuvalu -Worldatlas.com Print this map Formerly called the Ellice Islands, Tuvalu consists of 5 low-lying coral atolls, 4 islands, and more than 100 islets, all spread over a very large area. These isolated spots of land, the above water tips of undersea mountains, are famed for their beautiful lagoons, reefs, fabulous fishing, and collectible postage stamps. The Polynesians first settled the land now called Tuvalu some 2,000 ago. Arrivals included those from Samoa, Tonga and Kiribati. The Spanish explorer Mendana reportedly sighted the islands in 1568. The first Europeans arrived in the early 19th century, and the islands changed forever. In fact, some islanders were subsequently enslaved and forced to work. In 1892 the British convinced the islanders to join the Gilbert Islands protectorate; later to be called the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony.

Almost fifty years later, during World War II, the U.S. used the islands as a military base to combat Japanese invasions in the Pacific. In the mid 1970s the islands seceded from the Gilbert Ellise Colony, officially changing their collective name to Tuvalu, and became an independent nation. Its government remains a part of the British Commonwealth as a parliamentary democracy. The economy of Tuvalu is agricultural based, and though an ideal venue for tourism, the islands are yet to fully develop that industry. The only airport is located on the Funafuti Atoll, and transportation between islands is by boat. For additional information regarding the history of Tuvalu, go Official Name Tuvalu Population 11,810 Capital Funafuti Atoll (4,492) - Note: The largest island within the Funafuti Atoll is Fongafale, and it is occasionally referred to as the capital as government administration buildings are located there. Flag Tuvalu History World War II Japanese expansion in the Pacific during World War II reached the Gilbert Islands (Kiribati) with the invasion of Tarawa in December, 1941. Other Gilbert Islands were subsequently occupied.

The Japanese intended on pushing further south into the Ellice (Tuvalu) islands, but heavy losses in the Battle of Midway slowed them down. This allowed the Americans to arrive first, landing on Funafuti in October 1942. They built a large airfield and installed anti-aircraft gun bunkers. The British Colonial Aministration of the islands is transferred to Funafuti from Tarawa, but is later moved again to Suva, in Fiji. Subsequently, the Americans move up the chain, building airfields on Nukufetau and Nanumea. All three islands occupied by the Americans were bombed by the Japanese, generally with minimal damage. The Tuvalu Islands provided important advance posts that allowed the Americans to push north, which eventually led to the Battle of Tarawa, in November 1943. Link: World War II in Tuvalu Towards Independence After World War II many Tuvaluans migrated to Tarawa, the reinstated capital of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony. There were better opportunities for employment, mainly due to rebuilding after the terribly war.

They found employment opportunities exceeded their numbers, one reason being that their education system continued during the war, while that of the Gilbertese did not, due to the Japanese occupation. This lead to rivalries within the civil service and an assertion of Gilbertese rights. Britain prepared the colony for independence by granting self-government in 1974. However, the Ellice Islanders were not pleased at the thought of having their ruling masters changing from the British to the I-Kiribati, and and began seeking ways for secession. The British conducted a formal inquiry into Tuvaluan attitudes towards secession, and announced that a referendum was to be held, in which Tuvaluans could choose to remain with the Gilberts or secede from them. They are told beforehand that if they separate they would not receive any more royalties from the Ocean Island phosphate or other assets of the colony. Despite this, 3799 Islanders (92%) voted to secede, while 293 vote against secession. On October 1,1975, legal separation from the Gilbert Islands (now Kiribati), took place.

On January 1, 1976, full administration of the new colony was transferred to Funafuti from Tarawa. Tuvalu became an Independent Constitutional monarchy and the 38th (special) member of the Commonwealth on the October 1,1978. In 2000, Tuvalu became a full member of the Commonwealth and the 189th member of the United Nations. Tuvalu flag at the United Nations in New York Ellice Islands - definition of Ellice Islands by The Free Dictionary Ellice Islands - definition of Ellice Islands by The Free Dictionary Also found in: Thesaurus , Encyclopedia , Wikipedia . El·lice Islands (Placename) the former name (until 1975) of Tuvalu Tu•va•lu (ˈtu vəˌlu, tuˈvɑ lu) n. a parliamentary state consisting of a group of islands in the central Pacific, S of the equator: a former British colony; gained independence 1978. 10,588; 10 sq. mi. (26 sq. km). Cap.: Funafuti. Formerly, Ellice Islands.

Tu`va•lu′an, adj., n. ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend: Tuvalu Federated States of Micronesia , Micronesia , TT - a country scattered over Micronesia with a constitutional government in free association with the United States; achieved independence in 1986 Tuvalu - a small island republic on the Tuvalu islands; formerly part of the British colony of Gilbert and Ellice Islands until it withdrew in 1975 and became independent of the United Kingdom in 1978 Ellice Islands Ellice Islands Ellis Island Look at other dictionaries: Ellice Islands — [el′is] group of islands in the WC Pacific, north of Fiji: under British control, 1892 1978; name changed to TUVALU in 1976 and as such became independent in 1978 … English World dictionary Ellice Islands — Tuvalu … Deutsch Wikipedia Ellice Islands — Îles Ellice Pour les articles homonymes, voir Ellice (homonymie). Îles Ellice Ellice Islands … Wikipédia en Français Ellice Islands — n.

country composed of a group of islands in the central Pacific Ocean (former name for Tuvalu) … English contemporary dictionary Ellice Islands — noun a group of coral islands in Micronesia to the southwest of Hawaii • Syn: ↑Tuvalu • Instance Hypernyms: ↑archipelago • Part Holonyms: ↑Micronesia, ↑Federated States of Micronesia, ↑TT … Useful english dictionary Ellice Islands — /el is/ a former name of Tuvalu. * * * … Universalium Ellice Islands — Pacific island group; now called Tuvalu … Bryson’s dictionary for writers and editors Ellice Islands — El′lice Is′lands [[t]ˈɛl ɪs[/t]] n. pl.

geg a former name of Tuvalu … From formal English to slang Ellice Islands — /ɛləs ˈaɪləndz/ (say eluhs uyluhndz) plural noun a former name of Tuvalu … Australian English dictionary Gilbert and Ellice Islands — Infobox Former Country native name = Gilbert and Ellice Islands conventional long name = common name = Gilbert and Ellice Islands continent = Oceania region = country = era = status = Colony empire = British Empire event start = Protectorate year … Wikipedia 16+ 1000+ images about Gilbert & Ellice Islands now known as Kiribati & Tuvalu on Pinterest | Paris climate, Countries in the world and Pacific island nations Tuvalu (9 square miles) Tuvalu is composed of 9 coral atolls along a 360-mile chain in Polynesia. They gained independence in 1978. The former Ellice Islands are home to 12,000.

See More Gilbert and Ellice Islands This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website Gilbert and Ellice Islands Government Maritime flag 1937 - 1979 image by Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, 03 December 2002 The Government Maritime flag 1937 - 1979 was also the Civil Flag 1969 - 1979. "Government-owned vessels of the Gilberts flew the British Blue Ensign defaced in the fly with a flag badge - in this case the shield of the arms - prior to independence. The custom arose in various British colonies of using this as the civil flag, representing the colony in international sport events, regional meetings, etc. That practice was given legal sanction in the Gilbert and Ellice Islands as of 28 August 1969." Page 117, "Flags and Arms Across the World", Whitney Smith.

David Prothero, 30 August 2004 This flag can be seen in a video about the 1971 Pacific Games in Tahiti, French Polynesia at (at 9:57) as the team from Gilbert and Ellice Islands entered. Juan Manuel Villascan, 23 May 2016 Presentation of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands A British colony, the territory consisted of several island chains: Gilbert Islands - 16 coral atolls, presently Kirabati. The Gilbert Islands were discovered by the British in 1764 and made a protectorate in 1892. In 1915, it was made a colony with the Ellice Islands. In 1975, the Gilbert and Ellice Islands were separated and given internal self government. These islands became the nation of Kiribati. Phoenix Islands - these islands became a part of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands colony in 1937.

Ellice Islands - Sighted in 1568 by Alvaro de Mendenña de Neira, the Ellice Islands became a British protectorate in 1892 and annexed with the Gilbert Islands in 1915. These islands became Tuvalu. Colonial Flags image by Martin Grieve, 30 August 2004 The Gilbert and Ellice Islands did not have a governor until 1972, but the "governor's flag" was probably used by the Resident Commissioners. Earlier in the 1930s the Presidential Administrator of St Christopher and Nevis had not been allowed a Union Jack flag, but a Colonial Office minute of 28 April 1938 noted that a Union Flag for an Administrator was probably a precedent set by the Resident Commissioners of Gilbert and Ellice Islands. [National Archives (PRO) CO 323/1575/13] David Prothero, 30 August 2004 The flag used by Gilbert and Ellice Islands was the British Blue Ensign with the arms in the fly inside a white circle. Those arms were different to the current Kiribatian arms just because of the motto.

After Tuvalu were separated from Gilbert Islands, It adopted a new flag, or said better, a new arms in the fly. Those arms were put into a white circle. Juan Manuel Gabino, 05 January 2000 The Blue Ensign of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands from 1937 to 1976, was without the white circle. Source: Amendment 6 (1941) to 1930 Admiralty Flag Book. David Prothero, 19 January 2000 image by Clay Moss, 10 August 2004 Flag used on the Gilbert Islands (not Ellice Islands) from 1895 to 1916. David Prothero, 10 August 2004 In 1895 a Blue Ensign defaced with a royal crown flanked by the initials B R on a white disc became the flag of the Resident Commissioners in the Cook Islands, Gilbert Islands and British Solomon Islands.

Cook Islands were annexed to New Zealand in 1901, Solomon Islands had their own badge in 1910, but Gilbert Islands, which were combined with Ellice Islands in (probably) 1916, when the Protectorate became a Colony, still, in 1930, had the unspecific BR badge. David Prothero, 28 August 2004 On this website in New Zealand , the role of a British Resident is described: "The principle [sic] task of the British Resident, outlined in instructions from Governor Richard Bourke in New South Wales, was to protect settlers and traders, prevent outrages by Europeans against Maori, and to apprehend escaped convicts. In short, he was to provide a British presence. However, the Resident had no legal powers, and was not entitled to troops. His role, in effect, was that of mediator only." This is, of course, in New Zealand. The details are different elsewhere.

Ole Andersen, 11 August 2004 Customs flag image by Randy Young, 27 November 2015 The Customs flag prescribed for the Gilbert and Ellice Islands from 1912, then for Kiribati to about 1993 and Tuvalu to 2015 had a Union canton, blue upper fly and white lower half with 'HMC' in bold black thereon. The same design was prescribed for the British Solomon Islands, Fiji, and a similar one with the red cross canton for Tonga. Jeff Thomson, 25 November 2015 Alternate design image by Randy Young, 27 November 2015 I provide two possible versions of this flag. One shows the letters "HMC" spaced out evenly across the white lower half of the flag. The second one shows the letters grouped together in the fly portion of the white lower half. I'm not sure which is the more accurate depiction.

Randy Young, 27 November 2015 Coat of Arms image by Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, 02 December 2002 The motto reads: 'Maaka te atua, karinea te uea; mataku i te atua, fakamamalu ki te tupu' (Fear God and Honour the King) in both Gilbertan (Kiribatian) and Tuvaluan languages. Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, 02 December 2002 The bureaucratic process, involving nine government departments or agencies, took nearly six years to agree on the design of arms and a flag badge for the Gilbert and Ellice Islands (now Kiribati and Tuvalu). A further four years elapsed before the Admiralty Flag Book was amended. images by Martin Grieve The proposals were never more than drawings, and where necessary the images have been given a background to represent paper. In August 1931 G&E's Resident Commissioner submitted a sketch by Mr. Compton for a flag badge. It included the following explanation. Sea. Represents spaces of ocean in which colony is isolated. Sun. Close to 180 degree meridian. Sun is either rising or setting.

Bird. Fregat Aquilla. Symbol of power, poise and freedom. To natives is sign of sovereignty and kingly birth and highly regarded as such. Crown. Position of crown over frigate bird is intended to convey idea that all power and freedom granted to people of the colony emanates from and are protected by the sovereign. A.G. (Possibly Arthur Grimble who wrote a book 'A Pattern of Islands' about his time as a District Commissioner in G&E.) This sketch is not in the archives. It was probably similar to the image above left, but with a crown on the shield above the bird, and a consequently smaller bird and sun over a shallower sea. This was sent to the Governor of Fiji, in his capacity as Western Pacific High Commissioner (WPHC), who forwarded it to the Colonial Office in London. A little over two years later, in December 1933, the Royal Mint Advisory Committee (Mint) who were responsible for flag badges, had considered the sketch and suggested to the Colonial Office that a motto should be added, and the crown removed. This suggestion was sent to the WPHC, and finally reached G&E in March 1934.

The second image (above right) is the revised badge without the motto. The Resident Commissioner, possibly a different person by now, replied to WPHC in June that he had no comment on the Mint's recommendations with which he was in entire agreement. In August, WPHC returned the drawings and sent the Resident Commissioner's letter to the Colonial Office, suggesting that the design should be a Coat of Arms as well as a flag badge, and that the inscription should be retained in the arms, but omitted in the badge. In December 1934 the drawings were returned to the Mint, with a request that George Kruger-Gray, an heraldic artist, should be commissioned to prepare a rendering that would be suitable as a Coat of Arms as well as a badge. It was noted that the Mint had queried the crown on the badge, but that the Colonial Office wanted it retained. A Colonial office minute pointed out that opting for a coat of arms meant that the College of Arms would have to be consulted, and that the cost might increase.

In February 1935 a Colonial Office representative attended a meeting of the Royal Mint Advisory Committee in the Tapestry Room at St James's Palace, where Kruger-Gray's designs for a full achievement of arms (image above, left), an ensign badge (below, left) <ki!geb.gif>, and a Union Jack badge <ki!geg.gif> (below, right), were considered. It was thought that the crown should be omitted, but that if it had to be included it would be better above the shield. It was suggested that the white circle on the Union Jack should be yellow to counteract the optical effect of the apparent interruption of the cross of St George by the shield. images by Martin Grieve In March the Colonial Office told Col. Sir Robert A. Johnson, the Deputy Master and Comptroller of the Royal Mint, that the crown could be omitted, but that the circle on the Union Jack had to be white. It was suggested that the unwanted optical effect would be avoided if the shield did not touch the edge of the circle. The Colonial Office also contacted the Admiralty and Sir Gerald W. Wollaston, Garter King of Arms, for their comments.

In April, Garter wrote to the Colonial Office that the Arms should not be ensigned with a crown, which in any case was incorrectly drawn, and was not appropriate on a colony badge. Arms were assigned to a colony by warrant under the sign manual of the Sovereign addressed to the Earl Marshall, and counter-signed by the Secretary of State for the Colonies. The warrant was then recorded in the College of Arms. The last warrant had been for the Falkland Islands on 16th October 1925 when the fee was Twenty Pounds and Seventeen Shillings. In the same month the Admiralty told the Colonial Office that a white circle was not necessary on the Blue Ensign and that a Red Ensign, if needed, would require a special warrant. In June the Colonial Office told the Admiralty that a Red Ensign was not necessary, and that they would be seeking the opinion of WPHC with regard to the white circle. Later that month the Colonial Office sent a dispatch to WPHC reporting the latest developments. This was passed on to G&E in August. In September S.G. Clarke, Acting Resident Commissioner G&E wrote to WPHC, "Agree crown and smaller shield.

Join Your Excellency in condemning the portrayal of the frigate bird. Its inclusion in present form seems pointless since the bird illustration is in no way symbolic of the colony. If the bird is to be symbolic of G&E it should be an accurate representation of the bird, or another symbol should be found. Original drawing of bird submitted by Mr. Compton possess a poise and gracefulness lacking in the design submitted. Gray may have taken liberties with the form of the bird so as to present a concave lower surface to accord with the convexity of the sun's rays. Suggest this is not necessary." In November WPHC wrote to the Colonial Office, agreeing to all suggested changes, but requesting alterations to the bird. It was not until February 1936 that this was passed on to the Mint. In March, Kruger-Gray wrote to the Mint that he had copied Mr. Compton's sketch, and the bird was now difficult to see. "The frigate bird in the Natural History Museum in no way resembles the sketch. It is a long thin bird with a pronounced swallow-tail. Have tried to make drawing resemble bird and also be as heraldic as possible.

It never seems to strike authorities that the sun and sea are purely convention. Have made bird yellow but it would be better white as in my first sketch." In April the Mint sent the new drawings to the Colonial Office, who passed them on to WPHC in May. A reply, "Adopt drawing 'B' " was written by WPHC in October, and passed on to the Mint in December. The Mint replied that the fee would be Twenty-Five Guineas (Twenty-Six Pounds Five Shillings). A Colonial Office minute noted that the fee was very reasonable. Aden's badge, N. Rhodesia's badge, and St Lucia's badge and seal had each cost Fifty Pounds. In January 1937, five and a half years after the original sketch had been submitted, the Colonial Office sent the design to the Admiralty, who agreed to its adoption. At the end of the month the Colonial Office were notified from Sandringham that the badge had been approved by King George VI. In February the Colonial Office wrote to Garter that drawing 'B' and the inscription had been selected as the Coat of Arms of G&E, and asked him to prepare the necessary documents.

They also wrote to WPHC informing him that the badge had been adopted, that they were proceeding with the Coat of Arms, and that Twenty-Five Guineas was being paid to the Mint by the Crown Agents from G&E funds. In March the Colonial Office received a draft of the warrant for the arms from Garter. It was returned to him for the correction of two spelling mistakes, and for the bird to be described as 'a frigate bird' and not 'a sea-gull'. Blazon: Gules issuant from water barry wavy in base proper a sun in splendour Or, in chief a frigate bird volant of the last with motto "Fear God Honour the King" in Gilbert and Ellice equivalent. The final warrant went back to the Colonial Office who sent it to the King's Private Secretary. It was signed by George VI on 1st May 1937. The warrant then went back to the Colonial Office who sent it to Garter for him to produce two certified copies of the warrant, which he did on 28th June 1937. These were sent to the Colonial Office at the beginning of July with a statement of the fees due.

At the end of July Garter was told that the Crown Agents had been instructed to pay him Twenty-Five Pounds and One Shilling. One copy of the certified warrant was retained in the Colonial Office, and one sent to WPHC. By 1938 the amendment plates for the Colonial Office's 'Flags, Badges and Arms' had been produced. In March that year one copy of the flag badge and one copy of the arms was sent to WPHC, and six copies of each sent to Resident Commissioner G&E. In May 1938 a Colonial Office Circular Dispatch distributed reprints of pages vii and viii to be substituted for original pages, and Plates of "Flag of Governor General of Australia; Flag Badge Gilbert and Ellice Colony, and Arms Gilbert and Ellice Colony." The amendment to the Admiralty Flag Book did not appear until 1941, two years after the start of World War 2, by which time colour printing had been discontinued, and amendments were printed only in black and white. "NL 108/37. Plate 27a. Insert after plate 27, and delete reference to Resident Commissioner in Gilbert and Ellice Colony thereon.

Badge : Banaba | island, Kiribati | Britannica.com island, Kiribati Pacific Ocean Banaba, also called Ocean Island , coral and phosphate formation, part of Kiribati , in the west-central Pacific Ocean . It is located 250 miles (400 km) west of the nearest Gilbert Islands and has a circumference of about 6 miles (10 km). Banaba is the location of the highest point in Kiribati, reaching 285 feet (87 metres) above sea level. Sighted in 1804 by the British ship Ocean, the island was annexed by Britain in 1900. In that same year the mining and shipping of phosphate from the island began. By the early 1970s, annual production reached a high of 550,000 tons, but deposits were exhausted by the time of Kiribati’s independence in 1979. The island was made part of the crown colony of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands in 1919 and was occupied by Japanese forces from 1942 to 1945.

The Japanese deported many of the local Micronesian inhabitants (including both Banabans and Gilbertese) to the Gilbert and Caroline islands and in August 1945, after Japan had already agreed to the terms of surrender, massacred all but one of the remaining 150 Gilbertese. After the war the British government resettled many Banabans on Rabi, a small island 1,300 miles (2,100 km) southeast of Banaba, in Fiji . The official pretext for the relocation was the wartime destruction of the home island, but the British continued phosphate mining on Banaba, which soon made living conditions there impossible. Further migration to Rabi took place in waves between 1945 and the mid-1980s, and by the early 21st century the Banaban population there had reached some 4,000. In 1971 the Banabans sued the British government for a greater share of royalties from phosphate mining and compensation for the island’s environmental devastation. They were awarded a 50 percent stake in phosphate export revenues in 1973.

That income soon evaporated with the depletion of the island’s phosphate reserves, however, and in 1981 the community agreed to Britain’s offer of a one-time trust payment of $10 million (Australian) in return for the abandonment of further litigation. Similar Topics Gilbert and Ellice Islands | NZETC Gilbert and Ellice Islands Previous Section | Table of Contents | Up | Next Section Gilbert and Ellice Islands THE PLAN for extending the coastwatching network to the Gilbert and Ellice Islands was formulated in May 1941 and put into operation in July. The parent stations were to be Beru and Funafuti . Initially fifteen operators * were supplied from New Zealand as well as twenty-two soldier companions. Native operators to assist them were also being trained in Fiji . On 20 July HMFS Viti ** left Suva on a voyage of over 5000 miles to install these posts on * All the operators in the Gilbert and Ellice Islands had received training in weather reporting and were equipped with a supply of weather-report forms and code-books. At Funafuti pilot balloon flights were also made in addition to the ordinary weather reports.

** 700 tons, then owned by the Colony of Fiji ; commissioned during the war as a naval vessel. page 8 ten islands in the Gilberts and on seven in the Ellices. It was difficult to land at many of the islands selected for the installation of coastwatching stations, and the officer in charge of establishing them had an unenviable experience which he described in a telegram: ‘During Nanumea installation very nearly lost my life … whilst returning to ship canoe overturned on reef, outrigger striking my head. Out cold, saved by native…. Very difficult get ashore and back ship.’ Ashore there were Government buildings available for use on Beru and Funafuti , but on the other islands native houses were built for the coastwatchers, a type of dwelling appropriate to the climate and preferred for their own residences by most Government officials. Some of the islands appeared idyllic, at least to the outsider. On one island in the Ellices the house in which the coastwatchers lived was sited in a beautiful position overlooking the lagoon. Cool breezes blew constantly and mosquitoes were unknown. The natives supplied fresh food, usually as a gift. The available recreations were sailing, fishing, and bathing.

One of the soldiers captured in the northern Gilberts also testified afterwards to the pleasant climate of his island. But on one occasion the island, only six feet high, was swamped in a hurricane by heavy seas. All the houses were damaged but were quickly repaired. Here, too, fresh food could be obtained locally, though the coastwatchers depended on rain water for drinking. The men's relations with the natives were generally good, except on one of the Ellices where the two soldiers quarrelled with the inhabitants and also did not speak to each other for months. When the Degei * called at some of the islands in February 1942, her captain remarked that morale was high at most stations: ‘Their isolation appears to make them self-sufficient and they did not offer much demonstration at our arrival.’ The worst feature of this island life, no matter how attractive the climate and the setting, was that the men often did not have enough to do, and the opportunities for recreation were not varied enough to keep them happy throughout a long period of duty.

The radio operators, with their weather reporting duties, equipment maintenance, and radio schedules to keep, were more fortunate than the soldier companions, but for most coastwatchers boredom was the arch-enemy. In some instances, however, the ease of tropical living did directly affect efficiency and radio schedules were laxly kept. A serious case of neglect of duty occurred in 1943 at a northern island in the Ellice Group ; it was particularly grave as the Japanese advance into the Gilberts had put the Ellices in the front line. This station one day went off the air, whereupon grave fears arose at Funafuti as to whether the island had been taken by the Japanese. Arrangements were hurriedly made to send a Catalina flying boat with a spare set in case the transmitter had broken down. It was intended to land on the comparatively small lagoon, which in itself was a hazardous task, but the risk was considered necessary in view of the importance attached to the island at that time. However, a few hours before the plane was ready to depart from Funafuti , contact was established with the island. The NCO operator excused himself by saying that he had had a high fever and asked to return to New Zealand for health reasons.

This was described as ‘an unfortunate occurrence’, as the Americans, who were preparing for the invasion of the Gilberts, were at that time ‘intensely interested in that island’ and had ‘expressed the wish that the coastwatching service should continue normally as any change in procedure or traffic would arouse the suspicion of the enemy’. The operator was relieved of his duties a few days later and returned to Suva . * A small motor vessel owned by the Colony of Fiji . page 25 After Beru failed, when the Japanese occupied the southern Gilberts, precautions were taken at Funafuti to guard against the possibility of enemy attack. New watching points were established on the atoll and fuel for the radio station was stored in several places. An emergency station was established on another island of the Funafuti atoll and stocked with food. Late in 1942 United States Forces occupied Funafuti and within three months had established an airfield there; subsequently they also occupied and built airstrips on Nukufetau and Nanumea. In the prolonged air raids on Funafuti in April and September 1943 the radio station was damaged extensively and later had to be evacuated for a more substantial building—the island jail.

The officer in charge of the station, Lieutenant D. L. Vaughan, extended his keying line to a slit trench, and on several occasions signalled from this shelter that raids were in progress. He was mentioned in despatches for ‘devotion to duty, initiative, and valuable service in maintaining vital communications in the Gilbert and Ellice Islands.’ The Gilbert Islands were so close to the Japanese mandated territory in the Marshalls that they were placed in a position of immediate danger by Japan 's entry into the war. In December 1941 the Japanese occupied the northern islands of the Group (Makin, Little Makin, and Abaiang), apparently to secure the Marshalls bases against Allied observation or attack. The Japanese also visited Tarawa , placed the European inhabitants on parole, and left again. On Bikati Island in the Makin (or Butaritari) atoll, the coastwatchers calmly reported the entry into the lagoon of twenty-three enemy ships. The Japanese landed next day and the following day captured the three coastwatchers, but not before a last distress signal had been sent and the radio and code-books destroyed. Seven New Zealanders were made prisoner by this time —three wireless operators and four soldier companions.

* They refused to answer Japanese questions about the defences of Fiji , in spite of the flourishing of a revolver in their faces and several blows with a stick, and denied all knowledge of other coastwatching stations in the Group. They were taken to the Marshall Islands and soon afterwards to Japan , where they excited some curiosity as the first prisoners of war to appear there. All these men were later mentioned in despatches. The remaining islands of the Gilbert Group were not occupied by the enemy until about nine months later. During this time the coastwatchers carried on as usual. They had volunteered to remain at their posts, and the information they could give of the strength of an enemy attack and even the negative information that would be provided when they became silent were equally vital to the Allies. Towards the end of February 1942 the Degei was sent to the Ellices and southern Gilberts with stores for the coastwatchers. She was ordered to go no farther north than Nonouiti, where the supplies for Kuria, Abemama, and Maiana were put ashore. The Degei was making the voyage under difficulties as Japanese air patrols passed daily over the Gilberts. She moved only at night and did not break radio silence.

It was arranged that a half-caste should use a launch towing a lifeboat to take the stores to the three northern stations. The coastwatchers at these posts, receiving their stores by this means, must have felt that they were already lost, even though not already forgotten. * Corporals M. P. McQuinn, J. M. Jones, and S. R. Wallace, Privates J. M. Menzies, M. Menzies, L. E. H. Muller and B. Were. The first three were the wireless operators; they were given military rank retrospectively. All were repatriated at the end of the war. Tuvalu History The Islands The formation of coral islands was a topic of considerable scientific argument in the 19th century. The question that particularly bothered scientists was this: since corals grow only at shallow depths in the sea (rarely below 80 metres), how is it that coral rock, formed from their remains, often extends for hundreds of metres beneath the sea?

In 1842 the famous scientist Charles Darwin, who visited the Pacific in 1835-6, put forward the theory that coral islands had been built on slowly subsiding volcanic rocks. As the volcanic foundation sank, it carried the dead coral down to greater depths. Meanwhile, new deposits of coral were being added to the top of the pile, near the surface, so that the upward growth of the coral kept pace with the subsidence. At some later date another volcanic movement occurred, and pushed some of the coral up to form islands. Thus it was, said Darwin that a solid mass of coral rock could be found above the surface of the sea, and extend from there, through the waters in which it had been formed down to depths at which the coral had never lived. After many years of discussion on the structures of atolls, the Royal Society of London decided to bore down into the coral and obtain a sample of it from far beneath the surface to see if these samples would contain traces of shallow water organisms. In 1896 an expedition was sent to Tuvalu (Funafuti) which managed to bore to a depth of 33 metres.

In 1897 another party of scientists led by Professor Edgeworth David of the University of Sydney carried the boring to a depth of 200 metres while the following year a third group managed to obtain a sample from a depth of 340 metres. All the samples obtained were found to contain traces of shallow water organisms, but the drilling was never able to reach the volcanic base of Funafuti. Another attempt was made in 1911, which was also unsuccessful. The boreholes can still be seen to this day, at the site now called David's Drill. Mrs. David, the wife of Professor Edgeworth David wrote a book describing her experiences in Funafuti. It was published in 1899 and called Funafuti, Or Three Months on a Coral Island. Nukufetau Atoll H.M.S.

Porpoise with drilling rig Image Link: 3d Graphic showing the formation of Funafuti Atoll Arrival of the Tuvaluans According to the evidence of linguists, who can work out how old a language is, and hence for how long people had been speaking it, the language of Tuvalu - and hence the settlement of the country - goes back about 2,000 years. The traditional stories and genealogies, however, mostly go back only about 300 years. It seems, therefore, that the story we have today came to us not from the earlier ancestors but from later arrivals in Tuvalu. It is generally believed that the earlier ancestors came mostly from Samoa, possibly by way of Tokelau, while others came from Tonga and Uvea (Wallis Island). These settlers were all Polynesians with the exception of Nui where many people are descendants of Micronesians from Kiribati. In 1986, off the northern shore of Nanumaga, scuba divers investigated a local legend of a "large house under the sea". They found and underwater cave more than 40 metres down the wall of the coral cliff.

Inside the cave there was evidence of ancient human occupation more than 8,000 years ago, which is sharply at odds with the general view that the Pacific was settled just 4,000 years ago. Climatic evidence of a massive rise in the see level that began 18,000 years ago and stopped 4,000 years ago may have drowned most of the evidence of much earlier human migration to Tuvalu and other Pacific islands. Link: The Caves of Nanumaga There are three distinct linguistic areas in Tuvalu. The first area contains the islands of Nanumea, Niutao and Nanumaga. The second is the island of Nui where the inhabitants speak a language that is fundamentally derived from I-Kiribati. The third linguistic group comprises the islands of Vaitupu, Nukufetau, Funafuti and Nukulaelae. Today, Tuvaluan and English are both spoken throughout the islands. According to modern scholars the population of Tuvalu before 1900 was never more than 3000. These opinions are based on early missionary reports and on careful estimates of the population-supporting capacity of Tuvalu food resources.

Although they may well be correct these views should not be accepted uncritically, for the written records come from people who were not intimately acquainted with life in Tuvalu. Moreover, there is always a danger that foreign commentators could impose a meaning of what they learned about Tuvalu which is quite different from those who live here. There are suggestions from archeologists that the ancient population was possibly higher than the scholars will allow. For instance, at Niutao in the early 1930's one of the pastors organized the people to level the village malae. In doing so, they uncovered large numbers of human skulls buried about a metre below the surface. Similarly at Nukufetau numerous human graves can be counted, especially on the islet of Fale. Further evidence comes from the huge holes that were dug in the ground to grow pulaka. These pits were dug to different depths. Most were from one-third of a metre to six metres deep, but some are deep as twenty metres from the base to the highest point of the soil thrown up. If the population was not above, say, 3000 why did the people build such numerous and deep pits which far exceeded their needs?

How could our forefathers, if only a few hundred in number, have dug such pits? Looking at these huge pits it is difficult to avoid the suspicion that there were many thousands of people who needed to be fed from them and who were required to build them. Moreover, Tuvaluan traditions do not contain any accounts of vast population losses. Certainly many people were killed in wars. Others probably died as a result of droughts or hurricanes. It is of course possible that their ancestors, over centuries, thought it prudent to provide for the possible future needs of their descendants by digging more than they needed for themselves. Apart from that, if there was a massive decline in population, the reason for it is not readily apparent. In 1979 the population of Tuvalu was estimated to be 7349. The present population of Tuvalu is estimated to be 10,500, and there are growing communities in other countries, mainly Australia, New Zealand and Kiribati. Woman in traditional skirt, 1894 Page Link: The Caves of Nanumaga - Evidence of the Earliest Tuvaluans?

Nukufetau man, 1831 Nanumea woman European Exploration The first European Explorer to make contact with Tuvalu was Alvaro de Mendana y Neyra, a Spanish explorer. He sailed westward across the Pacific in 1567-8 to discover, explore and name a substantial part of the eastern half of the Solomon Islands. On January 16, 1568 Mendana, with his ship Capitana, sighted his first island, which turned out to be Nui, and named it the Isle of Jesus. Mendana himself reported on Nui ï¿½ï¿½we found it so small it was not more than six leagues in circumference. The island was very full of trees like palms; towards the north it had a reef...ï¿½ Although islanders ventured out to the ship no contact was made with them. Gallego, the Chief Pilot, merely recorded that they were ï¿½naked and mulattoesï¿½ and Sarmiento, the captain of Magellan's flagship, observed that the island "had a large fishery".

A quarter of a century later Mendana once again obtained ships and men to make a second exploration of the Pacific. On August 29, 1595 the atoll of Niulakita was discovered and named La Solitaria. Once again no contact was made and Mendana sailed off in search of the Solomons where on Santa Cruz, he died in October 1595. Such was the first and only European contact with Tuvalu for almost two centuries. The atolls were ignored until 1781 when the Spanish trader Don Francisco Maurelle was forced well south of the Equator by unfavourable winds on a routine journey from Manila to Mexico. With inadequate provisions (since cockroaches ate most of the stores) he was forced as far south as the Tongan archipelago. Sailing north, on May 5, 1781 he discovered an island which he called Isla del Cocal, the atoll of Nanumanga. It was impossible to land although islanders who also came onboard attempted to tow his frigate, La Princesa by tying lines to the bows.

Maurelle eventually abandoned the attempt and set sail northwestwards, sighting Nanumea, which he named San Augustin, but passing no closer than six leagues. Once again Tuvaluan atolls had been discovered by accident, and once again they provoked little or no interest in their discoverers. Captain Arent de Peyster, an American, is given credit for the rediscovery of Tuvalu. He was in command of the British brigantine Rebecca, who in May 1819 discovered a group of fourteen islets which appeared to be inhabited. The first atoll was discovered when the Rebecca was only three times her length from the shore. That he avoided shipwreck was fortunate whilst the problem of visibility, plus the isolation of Tuvalu, indicates very clearly the reason for its belated discovery. The atoll was Funafuti and de Peyster called it Ellice's Group after Edward Ellice, the Member of Parliament for Coventry and the owner of the Rebecca's cargo. Ellice was also a London merchant, a financier of wide imperialist interests and a leading figure in the Hudson's Bay Company in Canada. The next morning de Peyster sighted Nukufetau, which he called de Peyster's Group.

Eventually, the name Ellice was applied to all nine islands by the English hydrographer A. G. Findlay. In the next decade more traders and whalers briefly visited Tuvalu, especially after the discovery of the Central Pacific whaling grounds in 1818. Captain George Barrett in the Nantucket whaler Independence II, was the first to sight Nukulaelae, and rediscovered Niulakita on November 6, 1821. Four years later, 1825, Obed Starbuck in the whaler Loper, discovered Niutao and Vaitupu, and Captain Eeg of the Dutch ship Pollux sights Nui again, more than 250 years after Mendana's first voyage Although few left record of their journey, they did serve finally to establish the location of the atolls on the map of the Pacific. Inadvertent discovery gave way to almost inadvertent incorporation.

By the middle of the nineteenth century Tuvaluans had obviously become quite familiar with the unfortunate medical impact of the arrival of increasing numbers of Europeans, so that in 1853 when Captain Pease of the Planter became one of the first Europeans to visit the atoll of Nanumea he was washed and various propitious ceremonies were carried out before he was allowed to step ashore. Tuvalu's waters are frequented by American whalers in the 1800's. Seamen occasionally deserted and settled ashore, while some of the more adventurous islanders became crewmen. Some Europeans beachcombers become traders and agents for firms in Australia, Germany and the US, and organised the export of coconut oil or copra. During the 1860s slave traders, or "blackbirders", carried off about 400 islanders, mainly from Funafuti and Nukulaelae, to work in Peru. None of them ever returned. Others were later recruited for plantations in Fiji, Samoa and Hawai'i. European diseases caused many deaths among the islanders. Alvaro de Mendana

Question: What are the Ellice Islands now called?
Answer: TUVALU